Renton's illegal oil treatment: 'We should have known'

Teenager Alex Renton made headlines around the world when his mother successfully campaigned for him to be treated with cannabinoid oil after he survived for three months in a coma in Wellington Hospital.

Now his mother, Rose Renton, has admitted she administered cannabinoid oil to her son weeks before it was officially approved by the Government.

She admitted to breaking the law on TV3's 3D programme yesterday, but denies it had any harmful effects on her son.

New Zealand Medical Association chairman Dr Stephen Child joined Paul Henry this morning to discuss how doctors still don't know cannabinoid oil's benefits and what kind of harm it can do.

"This was obviously extremely difficult – this was a mother trying to do what was best for her son," says Dr Child. "It's a tragic, horrible case and I feel for the mother, but ethically in the [medical] profession, we have the duty to do what is in the best interests for our patient".

He says "potentially, this medication could not have been in Alex's best interests and therefore we should have known about it".